(NHL Video) Detroit-Boston Mic'd Up

This should get you into the mood for the second round. It was funny watching Zedno Chara tell Brendan Smith you had your chance.

Brad Marchand responds to the charges that he embellished

Personally for me, I think Brad Marchand is a great hockey player that does his job well. I love watching people get all spun up about him. It's hilarious. Did he take a dive, I don't know, I wasn't on the ice. Did he draw a penalty yes. The fact remains, Marchand was the recipient of a questionable leg-on-leg check. That is a penalty, last time I checked the rule book. What's the on-ice official supposed to do, not give Brendan Smith a penalty?

Marchand on twitter crowd doubting legitimacy of his pain after collision w/Brendan Smith: "Thats why they're on twitter and I'm in the NHL"
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) April 23, 2014

Marchand on injury on Smith hit: "I twisted my knee up a little bit when I landed there. A little scare there. My leg was kind of tingling."
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) April 23, 2014

Blake Comeau hit on Brendan Smith

 
Columbus forward Blake Comeau is going to have a phone hearing with the NHL's Department of player safety for this hit. I have to think, he's going to get a couple of games for this one. Thoughts?

Columbus forward Blake Comeau to have phone hearing tomorrow for boarding Detroit's Brendan Smith.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 12, 2014

Where is Justin Schultz going?

The million dollar question or should I say the $925,000.00 question - where is former Wisconsin Badger Justin Schultz going on or after July first during free agency signing period.

Schultz it going to be one of the more sought after free agents after July first - he will be able to take advantage of the same loop hole that Blake Wheeler did to sign with what ever team that he wants to. It will also be interesting to see if that loop hole is in the next CBA. Teams that lose their draft choices to other teams will get nothing in return.

Apparently, the Anaheim Ducks aren't all that pleased with Schultz's decision to shop his services to the best fit. I can't say that I blame them because Schultz has an awesome upside.

Stu Hackel, SI.COM --- That might be a new name for you, but he’s a University of Wisconsin star defenseman who was drafted by the Ducks in 2008 before he started his college career. He broke in as a freshman on a Badgers team that already boasted Ryan McDonagh, Jake Gardiner and Brendan Smith. (“I don’t know how anybody scored on them,” Ferraro remarked, adding that Schultz is thought to be better than Gardiner, but not as good as McDonagh.) But Schultz has never signed with Anaheim and if he doesn’t by July 1 – it’s been clear for a while that he won’t — he, too, becomes a UFA. Projected as a top-two defenseman and an excellent puck mover, he’s coming off a great junior year and he found the hole in the CBA that allows him to choose the team that best fits him the way Blake Wheeler did when he signed with the Bruins a few years ago. Whoever gets Schultz will be getting a very good prospect and won’t be trading anyone or using a draft pick to secure him.